There's a rumor goin' round
by Ape Regina 1993
Summary: Life with Derek Songfic. Derek and Casey are at Queens but when rumors begin to fly about the nature of their relationship what will happen?


This fic is based on the song Rumor by Lee Brice, every time I hear it all I picture is Dasey. I don't own the Life with Derek Characters or the song Rumor by Lee Brice.

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Casey and Derek were 2 months into their first year at Queens. Unfortunately, they were forced to live together yet again, as Nora and George felt that it would be cheaper for them to help pay rent rather than Tuition and Student housing fees. Meaning that even though they tried to have their own lives, it was difficult when you share a car and a home. Casey ended up befriending the girlfriends of a few of the Hockey players thanks to her new friend Angie who was also pre-law and the long-term girlfriend of Bryce one of the first-year players. She went to all the Hockey games and cheered the Queens Gaels on, eventually it came out that she and Derek knew each other and eventually they were thrust into the shared friend group.

She would go to all the games; she even had a Venturi jersey. And he would in turn go to her poetry reading and Gael dance team performances, it was only to show support since she supported his hockey games and because the family couldn't always make the 5 ½ hour drive out to support her.

No one knew their true relationship, of being Stepsiblings. Everyone just assumed they were really close high school friends who decided to move in together. Though not long after they started hanging out together again the rumors began. They weren't as bad as in high school as University is a much bigger place and most people don't really know anyone outside their friend group but even so pretty much everyone on campus was aware of the UST between the rookie hot-shot hockey player and his female roommate. Somehow throughout this whole time neither Derek nor Casey had heard the rumors. Most girls stopped hitting on Derek thinking he was in a relationship; and no one went within five feet of Casey at fear that Derek would behead them, which a couple of guys found out early on wasn't that far off from the truth.

One Friday night early on they had a reprieve before the official hockey season started so the team and their girls decided to out to one of the bars in town. Everyone had fakes but it's a college town and not much goes on, so they don't really check ID's. Derek was halfway through his second beer and Casey had just finished her first vodka cranberry.

"D come on please come and dance with me, if you don't I'm gonna have to go and find some rando and who knows how that will turn out." she said she knew she was manipulating his protective side, but she wanted to dance and all the other guys they came with were pre-occupied.

"Ugh... Fine Princess as you wish, but just one song and you have to buy my next beer." he replied letting her drag him out on the dance floor. He pulls her close, they are familiar with dancing together since the competition in high school.

He pulls her close and she snakes her arms around his neck, and he puts his arms around her waist, halfway through the song she leans her head down on his chest and they just sway to the beat. Two more songs go by before a fast song comes on awakening Derek from his daydreams and he pulls back and says that they should go and sit at the table. She follows her hand in his, she doesn't want to get lost. They sit beside each other and join in on the conversations going on.

Girl, you know I've known you forever  
How many nights we hung out together  
Same little crowd, little bar, little town  
'Round this old dance floor  
My boys are laughing and tap me on the shoulder  
Making a motion like, "Could y'all get any closer?"  
They wanna know what's up why I'm still holding ya  
Even when the song is over

Derek is sitting down at the booth he has his arm around Casey's shoulder, and she is leaning into him. Mike another of the rookies leans in toward Derek and says, "D. Could you and Casey get any closer, why don't you just listen to the rumors and get together already." Before Derek can react, Mike is called by Bryce to help him carry the next round to the table. Derek decides Mike is an idiot and he and Casey are just friends but being Derek, he needs to find out what these rumors are, he decides he will corner Mike in the weight room and ask him.

There's a rumor going 'round about me and you  
Stirring up our little town the last week or two  
So tell me why we even trying to deny this feeling  
I feel it, don't you feel it too?  
There's a rumor going 'round, and 'round, and 'round  
What d'you say we make it true?  
We make it true  
Oh, we make it true

The next day Derek walks with Casey to campus and leaves her at her class on his way to the weight room, he doesn't have classes till the afternoon and needs to get in some good workouts before the regular season starts. He sits down on leg machine next to Mike and waves so Mike will take his headphones off and he and Derek can chat.

"Mikey my boy, just wondering what rumors you were referring to yesterday?" Derek says trying to be nonchalant.

Mike laughs "I assumed you knew dude, but everyone is talking about you and Casey, whether your together or will get together or if you are like ex's who never got over each other. The UST is real man and when your together you're always touching or sitting close to one another and when your apart you constantly talk about each other. In my opinion you two should be making use of that apartment. You know getting down to some _bow __chika__ bow wow_" Mike said thrusting into the air as he laughed.

"Man, you have no idea what you're talking about, Case and me together is crazy we can't stand each other, and I basically live to make her life a living hell." Derek said shaking his head. "who ever made up that rumor needs to be committed." Derek said as he put on his headphones and decided to ignore Mike and the stupid rumors, he would not be giving them a second thought. But they plagued him the rest of the day, he almost missed his afternoon class and was slammed into the boards a few times at practice because he wasn't paying attention.

Well I can shut 'em down, tell 'em all they're crazy  
I can do whatever you want me to do, baby  
Or you could lay one on me right now  
We could really give them something to talk about

Casey was always the more oblivious one, she didn't even notice the changes in her and Derek's relationship. After he walked her to campus and her class, she said goodbye to Derek and went to meet up with Angie and the other girls. Jessica a new addition to the group giggled at her and then said, "your boyfriend is soo cute, my Josh would never walk me to class he is way too caught up in himself, you are soo lucky to have such a sweet guy."

Casey wasn't really paying much attention to Jessica as she had a quiz in her first class and even though she was thoroughly prepared she was still Casey and she wanted to be absolutely sure. She absentmindedly replied. "I don't have a boyfriend; you must have mistaken me for someone else I just walked to campus with Derek." She then walked toward the classroom ignoring the girls completely.

"Is Derek not her boyfriend?" Jessica asked.

"We're not sure what she and Derek are, the rumors are flying especially with him being a hot shot Hockey player, but I have a feeling that we won't have to wait much longer to get some clarity." Angie replied.

"I wanted to ask her straight out, but Angie wouldn't let me." Bianca said.

"Mike and I wanted to start a betting pool to see when they would get together, but Bryce and Angie said that was tacky." Amanda said.

"Just let it be… Casey is soo oblivious and Derek is probably just realizing his feelings. They need time to process." Angie said "Now, let's follow Casey's example and head to class before we are late for our quiz."

There's a rumor going 'round about me and you  
Stirring up our little town the last week or two  
So tell me why we even trying to deny this feeling  
I feel it, don't you feel it too?  
There's a rumor going 'round, and 'round, and 'round  
What d'you say we make it true, baby?

Derek just couldn't let what Mike had said go. He knew that some people in high school had thought they would get together, but he assumed their constant bickering had put that to rest. But for this to have become a rumor throughout the hockey program he had to wonder if there was any stock in it. he began to take a closer look at his and Casey's relationship both now and in the past. They were never really friends until senior year and they were never and will never be family, both of them were clear on that. He felt a need to protect her like he did with Marty, but he also liked to be the one to tease her and prank her. Sure, he always stuck up for her and made sure that no one else messed with her. And of course, he had an opinion on all her relationships, no one was good enough for Casey and he wanted her to be aware of it.

And if he thought about it, she too had an opinion on all of his relationships. Right now they were definitely friends-ish, he did touch her a lot as he began to notice in the 2 weeks since the bard that he was evaluating their "relationship" but she touched him too, and he walked her to class and ate dinner with her every night.

He sat down on his bed staring at the ceiling and thinking. Eventually he came to a very crazy conclusion. He Derek Michael Venturi was madly in love with Casey Ashley McDonald and he had been for some time. And once he realized he was in love with her he realized that he and Casey were currently in a relationship, one of the longest either of them had ever been in. After this realization Derek needed to confront Casey and find out if she too had feelings for him and it was going to be difficult because Casey is one of the most oblivious people on the planet when it comes to her romantic feelings.

Oh, be honest, girl, now  
Do you want to do this or not?  
Should we keep them talking, girl  
Or should we just make 'em stop?

He decided he would talk to her when he picked her up from her shift at the library that night. He was about to leave to go and pick her up, she didn't like to walk alone on campus at night, when the front door was opened and slammed shut.

He emerged from his room to find Casey in the living room fuming. "What's wrong Case?" Derek said approaching her cautiously.

"Don't "what's wrong Case" me, you've been weird these last 2 weeks and I am finally at my wits end at first I thought you were trying to prank me or something but now I have no idea what is going on. And to top it all off your teammates have started to notice." Casey replied

"Case, I think I can explain." Derek said moving a little closer.

"No Derek, let me talk first. Would you like to know why I am home so soon? Well, I will tell you why. Your team captain James and "friend" Mike came by the library this evening and said I should just sleep with you or move on already because they think, and I quote "your blue balls are making you play like shit." My supervisor at the library is a hockey fan and he let me go early so I could come home to you. I was about to set him straight but before I knew it Mike was driving me here and telling me to sort it out. I have no idea why they think we are sleeping together or how I am holding you back from being with anyone else, but I would appreciate if you set them straight." Casey said fuming.

Derek was a little amused by this but also furious that his team thought his feelings or as they so nicely put it "blue balls" were affecting his game. I mean he had been a bit off lately even he could admit it, but it wasn't actually Casey's fault it was his own for being too inside his own head. He realized he hadn't said anything to her since her outburst and she was fuming she began to storm past him to her room, but Derek caught her by the wrist, stopping her.

"Case, I'm sorry that they embarrassed/ harassed you, believe me I will deal with them. But I think I have an explanation for my own behavior." Derek said releasing her arm

"which is?" Casey replied crossing her arms.

"there are these rumors going around about me and you, and what we are to each other. The same ones that went around when we were in high school." Derek said.

At the mention of those rumors Casey got quiet and didn't say a word just waited for Derek to go on.

"Case, I know in high school we thought they were just stupid idiots, but I sat down and thought about our "relationship" since we met and Casey, I came to the realization that I think the rumors have always been right." Derek said coming close to her and tilting up her chin, so she was looking at him.

"So, what exactly are you saying Derek?" Casey said letting out the breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Casey McDonald, I am in Love with you and have been since the day I met you." Derek said waiting for a response.

She didn't say anything for a minute and Derek was starting to regret his actions. Then she got a smile on her face and kissed him directly on the lips. Derek didn't respond right away but when the shock wore off, they were in a deep kiss. They came up for air a few minutes later and then decided to move over to the couch.

"so, can I assume that kiss meant that you like me too." Derek said.

"I believe you said you loved me D." Casey replied.

"Maybe I did, do you?" he replied.

"Who do you think started the rumor here at Queens." Casey said sliding into his lap and kissing him.

There's a rumor going 'round about me and you  
Stirring up our little town the last week or two  
Oh, tell me why we even trying to deny this feeling  
I feel it and you feel it too  
There's a rumor going 'round, and 'round, and 'round  
What d'you say we make it  
Make it true  
What d'you say we make it true?  
Come on over here  
Let's really give them something to talk about, baby  
(Talk about, baby) there's a rumor going 'round

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Please review I would love to know what you guys think of this story.


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